Communities in Control Conference - May 20-21, 2019, Melbourne, Australia

Communities in Control 2019 "Get Angry. Then Get Organised"Conference will open 20 May 2019, Melbourne

When Bob Dylan sang the times they are a'changin' he was well ahead of the curve. Change is occurring in our communities at an unprecedented rate.

The white-bread towns and suburbs we grew up in are now selling injera and hokkaido. Women are shouting, "Me too!" and "Time's up!" Gay people are getting hitched. Refugees are fighting back, shining a light on their plight tweet by agonizing tweet. Entire towns are opting out of the black power grid.

The downtrodden, the ignored, the maligned and the disenfranchised are shouting, "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore." And finally people are starting to listen. The ground is shifting.

For those on the frontlines of the battles for social justice, it can at times feel like a slow grind. They poke and prod at society's constricting structures, sometimes breaking through, many times watching as the holes scab over. For those happy with the status quo, the pace of change can seem inexorable and startlingly rapid. They buy Bandaids in bulk.So how do we proceed? Tear it down and damn the consequences, or slow and steady wins the race? Is there a place in between?We are the government. We are communities. It's up to us to decide. Come to Communities in Control 2019 and do your bit.